The mysterious death of a 12-year-old who had been enrolled in a North Carolina naturopathic camp for less than a day exposed a long history of lawsuits and claims spanning more than a decade.
Fox News Digital revealed four separate lawsuits filed against Trails Carolina in 2010. Two of the four lawsuits were filed by parents of children at the camp alleging sexual abuse of minors. Other lawsuits were filed by employees who claimed to have witnessed physical abuse at the camp.
One of the lawsuits was filed in 2022 by parents in South Carolina. The lawsuit alleges the camp ignored her 14-year-old daughter’s attempts to report that she had been sexually assaulted by another camper.
The parents’ lawsuit alleges that the camp negligently and recklessly sexually assaulted their daughter in 2019 when an older camper with a “history of sexual assault” attacked her while she was unconscious. He is said to have tolerated physical abuse.
North Carolina health officials remove children from troubled wellness therapy camp
A 12-year-old boy has died at a North Carolina wilderness camp just one day after checking into a controversial facility. (Trails Carolina)
According to the complaint, the camp denied the 14-year-old girl’s request to move to another cabin, and she was sexually assaulted again several nights later.
The case was voluntarily dismissed by the parents several months later, but the daughter filed suit again. in her name in 2023.
The Department of Health and Human Services has records of five “declarations of deficiencies” regarding Trails Carolina in the past five years. The breakdown is three times in 2019, one time in 2021, and two times in 2023. Reports of deficiencies were followed up with corrective plans. .
The preteen’s death raises new questions about naturopathic camps and how they are run.
In 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released an extensive report investigating allegations of abuse, deaths, and deceptive marketing practices in housing programs across the country. The report highlighted several deaths at naturopathic camps and revealed a history of deceptive marketing and dangerous practices.
At least 25 teens have died at naturopathic camps, boot camps, religious boarding schools, reform schools, and teen ranches since the 1980s, according to research by the California nonprofit group Unsilenced. It turned out that there was.
North Carolina search warrant uncovers 12-year-old boy’s death at mysterious therapy camp
Transylvania County Sheriff Chuck Owenby recently released details about the boy’s death at a naturopathic camp in western North Carolina. (Trails Carolina)
Meg Applegate, CEO of Unsilenced, said deaths in naturopathic programs are not new and have been occurring since the program was conceived.
“Alec Landing, who died in 2014, was a perfect example of how naturopathic programs are not regulated enough to ensure safety, and another perfect example emerges 10 years later, and the lessons learned during that time.” “That’s pretty damning considering there’s very little shown about it,” Applegate said.
Alec Lansing, a 17-year-old from Atlanta, died of hypothermia in 2014 after running away from the program. Trails Carolina was fined $12,000 but was allowed to continue operating, local television station WYFF reported.
“So I don’t understand why the loss of life has not yet led to stronger regulations. Until lawmakers figure out how many children will die before we start prioritizing the law, things will continue to change. I don’t think it’s going to change.’ It protects them from harm,” Applegate said.
Former Carolina Trails student “DB” spoke to Fox News Digital about their experience and said that while naturopathic camps can be helpful, they need to be improved.
DB, who did not want to give his full name, was a student at Trails Carolina University during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. DB was 16 years old at the time, suffered from anxiety and depression, and was the only person at the camp to voluntarily sign up. All the other students were sent there against their will. DB escaped from the camp on two separate occasions, but she did not witness his physical or sexual abuse.
New enrollment suspended at Trails Carolina Therapy Camp amid investigation into 12-year-old boy’s death
The forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy told investigators that the 12-year-old boy’s death did not appear to be natural, but the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined. (Trails Carolina)
“I feel that Wilderness Therapy works. It was for me, but in no way was it my therapist’s fault. There is a lack of accountability, negligence from management, and neglect from upper management. “That’s where a lot of the problems come from.” “The vast majority of frontline staff really care and want to help. There’s obviously some bad blood, but the root of the problem is at the top of management.” said DB.
A former Trails Carolina staff member, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, told Fox News Digital that what the camp promises students online is not what they get when they arrive.
“When you go to a website, you see kids fishing. It’s false advertising. Kids fishing because they’re not using rods as weapons to kill people. I see kids in canoes. That’s false advertising. Those kids aren’t in canoes because they might go out on the lake and try to kill themselves. Those kids. “I don’t fight back or go hiking in the mountains because I’m afraid of pushing someone over the river. It’s a cliff,” said a former staff member.
A former Trails Carolina employee who worked at Trails Carolina for less than a year wasn’t at all surprised by the recent motorhome fatality.
“There were some really troubled teens who said they couldn’t wait to kill the new students, and they were treating it like a sick game. And they were throwing certain students into the mix. , when you don’t know how to deal with them, it becomes a terrible combination. A deadly combination.”
The official continued that although there are trained and qualified clinical staff, students primarily interact with out-of-home counselors, most of whom have little or no clinical mental health training. explained.
Preteen boy dies one day after attending controversial North Carolina therapy camp: ‘Suspicious death’
A 12-year-old boy was found dead at a wellness therapy camp in North Carolina a day after enrolling in the program, according to multiple reports. (Google Maps)
Trails Carolina removed all children from the camp following the death of a 12-year-old boy who was found dead in a Trails Carolina cabin on February 3, according to the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office. .
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the move Friday.
“We have determined that it is necessary to take steps to ensure the health and safety of children,” the ministry said in a statement Friday morning. “Parents have been notified and the children will be temporarily placed in the custody of Transylvania County DSS.”
The letter stated that Trails Carolina will be closed to campers until April 14th.
A spokesperson for Trails Carolina responded to the state’s move, saying the agency “intimidated and threatened the parents” of the 18 children who remained at the camp.
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“This negligent and reckless action by the state deprives parents of the opportunity to continue caring for their children in an appropriate manner,” the statement said.
As of Friday, Trails Carolina’s website was inaccessible and password-protected.
DB said it was shocked by the camp’s response to this deadly incident.
“Right now, I think any organization that is supposedly caring for dozens of children has a responsibility to be open. There really needs to be transparency and communication,” DB said. Ta.
